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This year I'm doing things a little differently. Every single week, I'll be picking 3-4 players who I think are worth watching. I'll post them up, which hopefully will give Jets fans a direction when choosing their college football games. I know a lot of NFL fans don't even follow college ball and each year, I'm asked to provide some players to watch.
So this is the first edition of the new series, and each Friday we'll have another addition to this stream.
Vince Biegel – Outside Linebacker, Wisconsin
Vince is a sophomore outside linebacker, who is set to take on a lot more responsibility this year. Vince was a 4 star recruit who performed well without blowing anyone away last season. However with the move to a 3-4 front and a demand for faster players in the front 7, this could be the season for Vince to really break out. Last season he had 25 tackles, 3 for a loss with 2 sacks and 2 passes defended. He is being asked to be a leader this year with Chris Borland moving to the NFL. I think he could be a big surprise this year and with the schedule Wisconsin have, I expect them to challenge the 10 win mark.
Laquon Treadwell – Wide Receiver, Ole Miss
Treadwell burst onto the scene in 2013 with 72 receptions, 608 yards and 5 touchdowns. He was named SEC freshman of the year and he is only expected to get better. However with Moncrief moving to the NFL, Treadwell will move from the slot to the outside. So he may have more chances for bigger plays but he will also face quicker and technically better defenders. Bo Wallace can be erratic for Ole Miss, and he is often put in situations where he is asked to get rid of the ball quickly, which means the slot guy gets a lot of touches. Personally I think Treadwell has the potential to be the no1 WR in college football this year.
Corey Robinson – Offensive Tackle, South Carolina
Robinson has the potential to be the best offensive lineman in the 2015 NFL draft. However unless he improves his foot work and mirroring, he’ll be moved to the right side instead of protecting the blind side. He is just a huge man, at 6’8 and 344 lb’s he is a monster in the run game. He is part of a unit that I expect to be the best in college football. He has the strength, he has the thick lower body and he has the athletic ability to block in space, which is rare for a man of his size. He’ll be a first round talent as will his partner in crime, guard A.J Cann. If those two really fire to full potential, it could mean good news for impressive tailback Mike Davis.
KeiVarae Russell – Cornerback, Notre Dame
I have to admit that this is a little bit of a personal indulgence. My favourite player on my team making this list is no mistake, and he has earned his spot here. If you’re looking for a new number one corner, Russell won’t disappoint you. I will go out and say it now, if Russell declares he will be the first corner taken in the 2015 NFL draft. I expect KeiVarae to really come into elite status this year due to the system change. Notre Dame has been playing under Bob Diaco’s defence for years now and we now have former Jets linebackers coach Brian VanGorder running the show. So we will see a shift from a cover 2 allignment to a pressure physical man defence that puts a lot more pressure on the defensive backs. Notre Dame are set to face a lot of teams with elite receiving groups, so Russell will be tested to the max.